The Hunter
by RoadwayFox
Summary: A take on Jeremy's thoughts about the current situation in Mystic Falls. Implied Jeremy\April.


_A\N – As you realize, I don't own anything. It makes me sad sometimes but that's just the case._

_Just a little idea I got after watching Episode 6. A take on Jeremy's thoughts about the current situation in Mystic Falls. I was never exactly a fan of his but he's definitely came back IMPROVED after the summer break. ;)_

_Tell me what you think! _

**The Hunter**

Jeremy Gilbert has always considered himself anything but a Hunter.

He's always been a brother, not always the best one as he remembered his younger years with light drugs and emo camouflage.

He used to be a boyfriend. Not a bad one actually but still all his girlfriends tended to end up dead or hurt beyond repair.

At one time he was a ward of a good man who himself ironically enough was a hunter. But Alaric was six fit under now as well. His ghost came to visit time after time but…

Jeremy mused. These days he frequently could be referred to as a bloodbag if only for the fact that among their company only he and Matt were now humans.

A friend. Probably. Until some years back he couldn't really name anyone to fit that list. But lately Matt, Tyler, even Caroline could be considered ones. April Young perhaps. The new girl and his childhood friend who accidentally naive-ly befriended Rebeckah.

Actually come to think of it, it all started when Jeremy found out about this strange and as far as the blonde vampire was concerned there one-sided friendship that he felt the strong urge to do something, to act on impulse and protect this new, just-back-in-the-town girl April who's just lost all her remaining family. Sure, her father was a first-class jerk who tortured his [Jeremy's] sister but April weren't to be held responsible for the sins of her ancestor.

She reminds Jeremy strongly of what Elena used to be before all this mass with the supernatural started: strong, bright, kind and always ready to help. In addition to this April has this ability to use irony to veil a potentially tragic or sad situation. It amuses him. And she also has this set of really big blue eyes. And she seems to just consider him a friend. Just like that. Like there hasn't been all these years, like he hasn't changed at all, like he's just the same guy who hasn't known loss and heartbreak, all the cruelty and other different kinds of misfortune, like he hasn't dealt with vampires, werewolves, hybrids, witches, like he hasn't known death… like his wasn't sucked out of him and his neck snapped on more than one occasion… And the oddest thing about it is that Jeremy enjoys it, her unsuspecting gaze and behavior towards him: those little moments they get in school together between their classes or in Grill in the evenings, or accidentally running in each other on a street. When April smiles at him with her genuine smile and looks at him with big blue unsuspicious eyes Jeremy enjoys every moment of it.

He wonders if he should take a chance and pursue his developing feeling for this girl but the ghost of Anna shows up in his room and he throws the thought of a possible romance out of the window…at least for now. In order to be with April he needs to know that would be able to protect her from the horrors he gets dragged in on the daily basis. He's not risking it again. Not after what happened to Vicky, Anna, Bonnie. Not after what happens to everyone around him: Jenna, Alaric, Elena, Caroline…and the list is hardly small.

April glances at him from her place in one of the cabins at the Grill and his confidence wavers. But only slightly.

There's a mark on his hand now. He's just got accustomed to the feeling of what it is to kill someone…intentionally. He can still feel the blood of Chris the hybrid on his face, to see it on his hands. But mostly the feeling of a lethal weapon in the same hands is still fresh in his mind. This sense that it belongs there and just how strong and aware it makes him feel.

Jeremy is still undecided about his future but knows that there's no doubt that the mark will grow.

After the events of the night there's the feeling that settled tight in the pit of his stomach. And try as he might to ignore it the possibility of him becoming a Hunter is no more a blur.


End file.
